Circuit breaker operating mechanism



March 1955 H. J. LINGAL CIRCUIT BREAKER OPERATING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 28, 1951 INVENTOR Horry-J.Lingol. BY-

ATTORNEY J. LINGAL CIRCUIT BREAKER OPERATING MECHANISM March 8, 1955- 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 28, 195;

INVENTOR Harry J. Llngol. BY i ATTORNEY house Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pin, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application April 28, 1951, serial No. 223,479

11 Claims. (Cl. zoo so My invention relates, generally, to operating mechanisms for circuit breakers, and, more particularly, to mechanisms for operating circuit breakers of the drawout type disposed in cells or cubicles.

In metalclad switchgear of the type described in the copending application of C. P. West, Serial No. 223,564, filed April 28, 195], the breaker must be manually operable with the cubicle door either open or closed. Also, operation must be possible with the breaker in any one of three positions in the cubicle: first, the connected position; second, the test position; and third, the disconnected position. Furthermore, it must be possible to open or close the door of the cubicle at all times except when prevented by interlocks.

An object of my invention, generally stated, is to provide a circuit breaker operating mechanism which shall be simple and efficient in operation and which may be economically manufactured and installed.

A more specific object of my invention is to provide for manually operating a circuit breaker, which is movable within a cubicle, by means of a handle mounted on theexterior surface of the cubicle door. I

Another object of my invention is to provide a circuit breaker operating mechanism which is operable through out a predetermined range of travel of the breaker within the cubicle.

A further object of my invention is to provide a circuit breaker operating mechanism which is automatically disconnected from or connected to the actuating handle on the cubicle door as the door is opened orclosed.

Still another object of my invention isto provide for manual operation of the breaker when the door of the cubicle is open.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a circuit breaker operating mechanism having an automatic connecting device which is mounted upon the movable circuit breaker unit.

Another object of my invention is to provide for automatically connecting or disconnecting. the operating mechanism for an enclosed circuit breaker to or from a handle on the door of the enclosure when the door is closed or opened.

Other objects of my invention will be explained fully hereinafter or will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

In accordance with one embodiment of my invention, a connecting device of a telescoping type is so mounted on a circuit breaker unit movably disposed within a cubicle that the breaker can be operated throughout its range of travel within the cubicle by means of a handle mounted on the exterior of the cubicle door and'havin'g a shaft extending through the door and engaged by the telescopic device. The connecting device is automatically disconnected from the handle on the door when the door is opened. A handle is provided on the connecting device for manually operating the breaker when the door is opened. I

For a better understanding of the nature and objects of my invention, reference may be had to the: following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a view, partly in side elevation'and partly in section, of a switchgear structure embodying the principal features of the invention, and showing a movable circuit breaker unit in its connected position. in a cubicle;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged: view, in front elevation, of the breaker operating handle which is mounted onthe door hired States Patent 2,703,829 Patented Mar. 8, 1955 2 of the cubicle containing the movable circuit breaker unit;

Fig. 3 is a view, similar to Fig; 1, showing the breaker unit in its disconnected position in the cubicle;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged View, in section, taken along the line IV-IV in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the telescopic device for connecting the breaker to the operating handle on the door; a

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view, in front elevation, of the connecting device; V

Fig. 7 is an enlarged view, in front elevation, of one piece of the connecting device, and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged view, in side elevation, of the piece shown in Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 1, the structure shown therein comprises; a cubicle 10 in which is disposed a circuit breaker unit 11 which is of the drawout type. The cubicle 10 may be part of a metalenclosed switchgear unit, only a portion of which is shown. As shown, the cubicle 10, which may be of the usual construction, comprises vertically disposed angle members 12, metal plates 13, 14 and 15 disposed at the rear of the cubicle and secured to the angle members 12, a top wants, a bottom wall 17, flanged side sheets 18 and a flanged door 19 at the front of the cubicle.

The circuit breaker unit 11 comprises a circuit breaker 2i which is mounted in a carriage comprising a flanged panel 22 and side members 23 to which rollers 24 are attached. The rollers 24 run on rails 25 disposed at the sides of the cubicle 10.

Asdescrib'ed in the aforesaid copending application, the circuitbreaker unit may be moved in the cell with the door 19 closed by means of a drive mechanism comprising' spaced plates 26 which are secured to a shaft or tie rod 27 rotatably mounted inbrackets' 28 attached to the bottom 17 of the cubicle. The, plates 26 are actuated by a shaft 29 which drives a traveling nut 31 secured to one of the plates 26. The shaft 29 extends toward an opening 30 in the door 19 and maybe rotated by means of a crank (not shown) placed on the 'end of the shaft by inserting the crank through the opening in the door.

As shown, each plate 26 has a shoulder 32 which engages a pin 33 secured to one of the side members 23 of the breaker unit. Thus, when the shaft29 is rotated in one direction, the shoulders 32 engage the pins 33 to move the circuit breaker unit to the connected position in the cubicle. When the shaft 29 is' rotated, in the opposite direction, shoulders 34 engage thepins 33 to move the circuit breaker unit to the disconnected position in the cubicle as shown in Fig. 3.

When the circuit breaker unit is in the connectedpcisition, primary disconnect contact members 35, which'ar e carried by the circuit breaker unit, engage fixed primary disconnect contact members 36 which are mounted at the rear of the cubicle. As shown in Fig. 3, the contact members 35 are disconnected from the contact members 36 when the breaker unit is in the disconnected position.

As shown by the broken lines in Fig. 3, the contact members 35 are also disconnectedfrom the members 36 when the circuit breaker unit is inv the test position, which is between the connected position shown in Fig. 1 and the disconnected position shown in Fig. 3.

As also described in the aforesaid copending application, an interlocking member 37 is pivotally mounted on a late 38 secured to one side of the breaker unit. The inter ocking member 37 cooperates with a member 39 attached to the top of one rail 25 to insure that are breaker unit cannot be moved from the" test position to the fully engaged position or vice versa unless the bf 'k'et contacts are in the fully open position. The member 37 is actuated by a moving contact cross bar 40011 the circuit breaker 21. p '7 As explained hereinbefore, it is necessa y'that the circuit. breaker 11 be manually operable withthe door closed when the circuit breaker unit is in the connected position as shown in Fig. 1, when it is in the disconnected, position as shown in Fig.3, and also when it is in the test positionv which, as explained hereinbejfore, is between the connected and the disconnected positions. It is also necessary that the circuit breaker be manually operable with the door opened when the breaker is in the aforesaid positions. In order to accomplish the foregoing results, I have provided an operating handle 41, which is mounted on the exterior of the door 19, and a telescopic connecting device 42 which is mounted on the front of the circuit breaker 21 and is so constructed that it engages the handle 41 with the door 19 closed and the circuit breaker unit 11 in any position within the cubicle.

As shown most clearly in Figs. 1 and 2, the operating handle 41 comprises a shaft 43, rotatably mounted in a bearing bracket 44, and a grip portion 45 attached to the shaft 43 by means of a set screw 46. The bracket 44 surrounds an opening 47 in the door 19 through which the connecting device 42 extends. The bracket 44 may be attached to the door 19 by screws 48. The end of the shaft 43 which extends through the bracket 44 to the inside of the door 19 has a tongue 49 which is engaged by the connecting device 42.

As shown most clearly in Figs. 4 to 8, the connecting device 42 comprises a support member 51 which is attached to a rotatable shaft 52 of the circuit breaker 21 by means of a screw 53, an operating member 54 which is attached to the support member 51 by means of screws 55, splined sleeves 56 and 57 which are telescopically disposed in the operating member 54, and a spring 58 which is disposed inside the telescoping sleeves to bias the sleeves outwardly. A groove 59 is provided in the outer end of the sleeve 57 for receiving the tongue 49 on the end of the handle shaft 43.

As shown most clearly in Figs. 4 and 5, the sleeves 56 and 57 are so splined within the operating member 54 that torque is transmitted from the shaft 43 to the breaker operating shaft 52 by the connecting device 42. Furthermore, the telescoping device is automatically extended by the spring 58 from the position shown in Fig. 3, in which the circuit breaker unit is in the disconnected position, to the position shown in Fig. l as the breaker unit is moved into the cubicle 10. The extending of the connecting device 42 is limited by stop members 61 and 62 provided in the operating member 54 and the sleeve 56, respectively.

Thus, when the door 19 is opened, the connecting device 42 is automatically disconnected from the handle on the door. When the door is closed the device 42 is automatically connected to the handle provided the handle 41 is in the correct position for the tongue 49 to enter the slot 59. If the handle should be in the incorrect position, the tongue 49 will depress the telescopic device when the door is closed and enter the slot 59 as soon as the handle is rotated to the correct position.

In this manner, the circuit breaker may be operated by means of the handle 41 at all times when the door 19 is closed. When the door is opened, the circuit breaker may be operated by means of a handle 63 which may be formed integrally with the operating member 54.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that I have provided a mechanism for manually operating a circuit breaker when it is disposed inside of a metal cell or cubicle with the door of the cubicle closed. The breaker may be operated by means of a handle mounted on the exterior of the door throughout its range of movement within the cubicle. Furthermore, the operating mechanism is automatically connected when the door is closed and automatically disconnected when the door is opened.

Since numerous changes may be made in the above described construction, and different embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a switchgear structure, in combination, a cubicle having a door, a circuit breaker unit disposed in the cubicle and movable rectilinearly between predetermined positions within the cubicle, a drive mechanism for moving the breaker unit between said positions with the door closed, a handle rotatably mounted on the outside of the door and extending through the door, telescopic means disposed between the circuit breaker and the handle for operating the breaker, said means automatically extending rectilinearly to connect the handle to the circuit breaker to transmit torque for operating the circuit breaker throughout the range of travel of the breaker unit within the cubicle when the door is closed, said telescopic means and said handle being connected only when they are in predetermined angular positions, and said telescopic means being compressible to permit the door to close when the handle and the telescopic means are not in said predetermined angular positions.

2. In a switchgear structure, in combination, a cubicle having a door, a circuit breaker unit disposed in the cubicle and movable rectilinearly between predetermined positions within the cubicle, a handle rotatably mounted on the outside of the door and extending through the door, and telescopic means disposed between the circuit breaker and the handle for operating the breaker, said means automatically extending rectilinearly to connect the handle to the circuit breaker to transmit torque for I operating the circuit breaker throughout the range of travel of the breaker unit within the cubicle when the door is closed, said telescopic means being automatically disconnected when the door is opened, said telescopic means and said handle being connected only when they are in predetermined angular positions, and said telescopic means being compressible to permit the door to close when the handle and the telescopic means are not in said predetermined angular positions.

3. In a switchgear structure, in combination, a cubicle having a door, a circuit breaker unit disposed in the cubicle and movable rectilinearly between predetermined positions within the cubicle, a handle rotatably mounted on the outside of the door and extending through the door, a rotatable shaft on the circuit breaker for operating the circuit breaker, telescopic means secured to said shaft, said means automatically extending rectilinearly to engage the handle on the door for transmitting torque from the handle to said shaft throughout the range of travel of the breaker unit within the cubicle when the door is closed, said telescopic means being automatically disengaged from the handle on the door when the door is opened, said telescopic means and said handle being connected only when they are in predetermined angular positions, and said telescopic means being compressible to permit the door to close when the handle and the telescopic means are not in said predetermined angular positions.

4. In a switchgear structure, in combination, a cubicle having a door, a circuit breaker unit disposed in the cubicle and movable rectilinearly between predetermined positions within the cubicle, a drive mechanism for moving the breaker unit between said positions with the door closed, a handle rotatably mounted on the outside of the door and extending through the door, a rotatable shaft on the circuit breaker for operating the circuit breaker, telescopic means secured to said shaft, said means automatically extending rectilinearly to engage the handle on the door for transmitting torque from the handle to said shaft throughout the range of travel of the breaker unit within the .cubicle when the door is closed, said telescopic means being automatically disengaged from the handle on the door when the door is opened, and an additional handle on the telescopic means for operating the breaker when the door is opened.

5. In a switchgear structure, in combination, a cubicle having a door, a circuit breaker unit disposed in the cubicle and movable rectilinearly between predetermined positions within the cubicle with the door closed, mechanical interlocking means for controlling the movement of the breaker unit, a handle rotatably mounted on the outside of the door and having a part extending through the door, a rotatable shaft on the circuit breaker for operating the circuit breaker, operating means secured to the shaft, rectilinearly extendable means telescopically disposed in said operating means for engaging the handle on the door to transmit torque from the handle to said shaft when the door is closed, and an additional handle on the operating means for operating the breaker when the door is opened.

6. In a switchgear structure, in combination, a cubicle having a door, a circuit breaker unit disposed in the cubicle and movable rectilinearly between predetermined positions within the cubicle with the door closed, a handle rotatably mounted on the outside of the door and having a part extending through the door, a rotatable shaft on the circuit breaker for operating the circuit breaker, operating means secured to the shaft, rectilinearly exmosses tendable means telescopically disposed in said operating means for engaging the handle on the door to transmit torque from the handle to said shaft when the door is closed, said extendable means being automatically disengaged from said handle when the door is opened, and an additional handle on the operating means for operating the breaker when the door is opened.

7. In a switchgear structure, in combination, a cubicle having a door, a circuit breaker unit disposed in the cubicle and movable between predetermined positions within the cubicle with the door closed, a handle rotatably mounted on the outside of the door and having a part extending through the door, a rotatable shaft extending horizontally from the circuit breaker for operating the circuit breaker, operating means secured to the shaft, splined means telescopically disposed in said operating means, said splined means being horizontally extendable to engage the handle on the door and transmit torque from the handle to said shaft to operate the circuit breaker when the door is closed, and an additional handle on the operating means for operating the breaker when the door is opened.

8. In a switchgear structure, in combination, a cubicle having a door, a circuit breaker unit disposed in the cubicle and movable between predetermined positions within the cubicle with the door closed, a handle rotatably mounted on the outside of the door and having a part extending through the door, a rotatable shaft extending horizontally from the circuit breaker for operating the circuit breaker, operating means secured to the shaft, splined means telescopically disposed in the operating means, a spring for biasing the splined means horizontally into engagement with the handle on the door to transmit torque from the handle to the shaft when the door is closed, and an additional handle on the operating means for operating the breaker when the door is opened.

9. In combination, an enclosure having an openable door, a circuit controlling device disposed within the enclosure and having a rotatable operating shaft, a handle rotatably mounted on the outside of the door and having a part engageable inside the door, spring-biased telescopic means for transmitting torque from the handle to the shaft for operating the device, said handle and said means being connected only when they are in predetermined angular alinement, and said means being compressible to provide for alinement of the handle and the shaft for automatically connecting the handle to the shaft when the door is closed and the handle is rotated.

10. In combination, an enclosure having an openable door, a circuit controlling device disposed within the enclosure and having a rotatable operating shaft, a handle rotatably mounted on the outside of the door and having a part engageable inside the door, and spring-biased telescopic means for transmitting torque from the handle to the shaft to operate the device, said handle and said means being connected only when they are in predetermined angular alinement, and said means being compressible to provide for alinement of the handle and the shaft for automatically connecting the handle to the shaft when the door is closed and the handle is rotated, said handle being automatically disconnected from the shaft when the door is opened.

11. In combination, an enclosure having an openable door, a circuit controlling device disposed within the enclosure and having a rotatable operating shaft, a handle rotatably mounted on the outside of the door and having a part engageable inside the door, and spring-biased telescopic means mounted on the device to transmit torque from the handle to the shaft for operating the device, said handle and said means being connected only when they are in predetermined angular alinement, and said means being compressible to provide for alinement of the handle and the shaft for automatically connecting the handle to the shaft when the door is closed and the handle is rotated, said handle being automatically disconnected from the shaft when the door is opened.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 73,914 Moul Jan. 28, 1808 1,955,287 Graves, Jr. et a1 Apr. 17, 1934 2,324,543 Scott, Jr July 20, 1943 2,467,307 Hammerly Apr. 12, 1949 2,544,314 Hebbel, Jr. Mar. 6, 1951 2,563,441 Wood et al Aug. 7, 1951 2,598,780 Garnier June 3, 1952 

